As CarPlay now includes support for Spatial Audio, Pioneer, at CES 2025, showed a system that combines CarPlay and Dolby Atmos, with a relatively simple 4-channel solution applicable to most vehicles on the road today, it said.
Pioneer may be first to market with the technology, it said, and it may be offered for both aftermarket and OEM applications.
The Pioneer system showed the audio possibilities using only speakers installed in the vehicle’s original front and rear locations and using four discrete amplifier channels. This “greatly simplifies the implementation of Dolby Atmos in the vehicle,” it said in a statement. The system achieves “reducing the required number of amplifier channels and individual speakers, plus eliminating the complexity of physically installing speakers in true vertical space, such as the vehicle headliner or roof.”
Pioneer added that it “plans to bring this unique solution to market as quickly as possible.”
The solution can be applied to almost any vehicle with CarPlay support.
100%, this technology looks really interesting, hopefully they expand on this press release.
Ok. Lots of questions here. Since this requires an iPhone and carplay, is this an adaptation of Atmos binaural rendering for headphones to an automotive space or is this actual Atmos renderd over 4 speakers?